


Last Christmas Earthside

by offensiveagentpie



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Christmas fic, Fluff, M/M, mckirk secret santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 07:18:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2842733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/offensiveagentpie/pseuds/offensiveagentpie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Bones, this is our last Christmas on terra firma for god knows how long.  What do you want?  Like, really want, because nice bottles of bourbon that I help you drink half of are not a good and proper gift."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Last Christmas Earthside

**Author's Note:**

> After fighting through some very stubborn writer's block, I present to you my McKirk Secret Santa fic for [rakuyoutenshi](http://rakuyoutenshi.tumblr.com) over on tumblr.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it! And Merry Christmas! <3<3<3

It’s Leonard McCoy’s last finals week and quite honestly, he feels lucky to have even survived. The tests had been even more demanding and tough than the last few semesters. He hadn’t even thought that was _possible_ , but leave it up to Starfleet to keep proving him wrong. He’s never felt so completely and thoroughly exhausted in his life. His brain feels like mush. To say that he’s looking forward to his last winter break is an understatement.

Although it’s also going to be his last Christmas Earthside for a few years, which is a little bittersweet. It took him almost far too long to realize this, but with graduation in the Spring, he’ll be heading out into the black long before the next Winter rolls around. Part of him wishes that he had some sort of plans for it, but he’ll probably just spend it with Jim in their dorm again. Which, in all fairness, isn’t all that bad…but he feels like it deserves something more than booze and take-out.

He’s contemplating this when his COMM chirps in his pocket. Recognizing Jim’s number, he flips it open.

“Yeah?”

“Bones! Do you still cut through the Command Center quad on your way back from Xenobio?”

“Yeah, I’m just passing through there now, why?”

“Good! Stay there; I’ll be there in a minute.”

The line goes quiet and Leonard sighs. He steps off the pathway and sits on a bench nearby, waiting only a few moments before he hears pounding footsteps heading towards him. He looks up and, sure enough, there’s Jim. He comes to a stop next to the bench, cheeks bright from the chilly air and winded from his run.

“So, Christmas is like…in a week,” Jim says, bending at the knees to catch his breath. 

Leonard quirks an eyebrow, “All that training and you’re out of breath? And yeah, Christmas is coming up in a week. Did you just now realize?”

Jim nods. “First, shut up, I sprinted and it’s cold. Second, finals have me all sorts of confused as to dates and times that don’t involve exam schedules. Third, Bones, this is our last Christmas on terra firma for god knows how long. What do you want? Like, really want, because nice bottles of bourbon that I help you drink half of are not a good and proper gift.”

For a moment, Leonard’s flustered. “Now Jim, there’s no need for you to go and do—“

“Shh, yes there is. Last Christmas, Bones. What do you want?” Jim’s tone leaves no room for argument.

For the sake of a brief argument, Leonard shrugs. “You know what, Jim? I don’t know. Honestly, I was just thinking along the same lines as you. We should do something special, but I’ll be damned if I know what. So,” he pauses, weighing whether or not he truly wants to say what he’s about to say to James T. Kirk of all people…but he figures why the hell not. “Surprise me.”

There’s a few moments of silence before Jim breaks into a dazzling grin; he thumps a hand on Leonard’s shoulder and gives it a squeeze. His blue eyes focus on Leonard, giving him the impression that, for a moment, he’s the center of Jim’s entire world. It makes the bottom of Leonard’s stomach feel like it’s falling away.

“You got it.”

And he’s off.

Leonard, however, is still sitting on the bench and reeling from the intense focus of those eyes. If he were to be completely honest with himself, he knows that things have been slowly shifting between them for a while now. Looks are being shared longer, and there’s been a new weight to their jokes. And more often than not, a crackling sort of tension crawls beneath Leonard’s skin when Jim’s tactile nature lets his hands linger longer than they used to. This Leonard is guilty of as well. He can’t help but feel a surge of… _something_ , when he sees the grin on Jim’s face that’s caused by Leonard letting his arm stay draped around his shoulders in comradery for longer than is strictly necessary.

So he’s not _totally_ surprised by it, but it still comes as a bit of a jolt.

He ponders on it for a bit more, wondering if anything will come of it. In the end he just takes a deep breath and decides to let it take its course.

 

-oOo-

 

Over the next few days, the interactions between them turn to almost outright flirting, especially on Jim’s part. Leonard is dreadfully out of practice with all of this, but eventually warms up to it. It’s nice being on the end of direct affection. He thinks he knows what Jim’s end game is, and it’s confirmed when Gaila let’s slip that Jim has big plans for them on Christmas.

Leonard asks her what she knows, but her eyes sparkle as she swears to never give up the secret. So Leonard does some planning on his own and enlists her help as well, much to her delight.

Secret meetings and whispered plans take place between all three of them until finally, on Christmas Eve day, Leonard gets a message on his PADD from Jim. All it contains is an address and ‘ _meet me here at 15:30, dress warm ;)_ ’. He’s puzzled, but does as he’s asked and shows up to a large dome shaped building a few blocks from their dorms.

Jim’s standing by the doors and waves at him eagerly once he sees him. He’s bundled up in a coat and gloves. “Bones! You ready for some Winter fun?”

“Depends on your definition of ‘fun’,” he asks as Jim falls into place beside him. He opens the door and ushers Jim in with a hand placed on his lower back. Jim flashes him a private little smile and heads inside. 

“Ice skating of course!” Jim says, flourishing his hands.

A chilly blast of air even colder than that outside hits him as he steps in the building behind Jim. There’s the loud chatter of a crowd, and sure enough clumps of people are all gliding around a large ice rink.

“It’s not really cold enough for us to go out into nature and ice skate, so I figured this is the next best thing.”

Jim’s grinning at him, but it’s doing nothing to ease the gnawing feeling beneath Leonard’s ribs. Something must show on his face, because Jim’s smile falters. “Is everything alright, Bones?”

“Yeah, kid, this is…this is great, but uh…I don’t know how to skate. And to be honest, I can’t really see the appeal in strapping two blades to your feet to glide around on a surface that you can potentially fall and crack your head open on.”

Jim, to his dismay, just snorts out a laugh. “Bones, you’ll be fine. I’ll be there to help you all the way if you’re so worried,” he puts a hand on Leonard’s arm and trails it down to his wrist, where he calmly rubs a thumb over Leonard’s pulse point. “I’m not going to let you fall, Bones.”

His voice sounds like he’s promising something much more serious than an assurance of Leonard not tumbling on the ice. So he nods and they go off to get their skates.

Once he’s laced up and hobbled over to the entryway to the rink, Jim hops onto the ice and does a quick little loop a few feet away before coming back. He holds out his hands and watches as Leonard wavers on the carpet. 

“You look like a baby deer,” he chuckles.

“I swear to god I will go home right now,” Leonard says back, without any real malice. He takes Jim’s hands and allows himself to be pulled onto the ice. There’s a moment of brief but intense panic as his legs realize that walking normally is no longer an option and he stumbles, but true to his word, Jim’s there to catch him.

“Man, you weren’t kidding when you said you don’t know how to skate.” His hands are braced beneath Leonard’s arms, allowing Leonard to death grip his shoulders.

Leonard jolts as Jim starts pulling him along. The blond bastard is skating backwards and hauling him along like it’s the easiest thing in the world. He presses his lips together and tries to mimic Jim’s movements, but it’s harder than it looks.

“Why the hell would I kid about that?” he grumbles.

Jim just laughs again, “I dunno, maybe just to be close to me?”

It’s not until he says it, that Leonard realizes just how close the two of them are, with their arms bent the way they are; less than a foot of space separates their bodies.  
He looks up to find Jim gazing at him playfully from beneath his eyelashes. He snorts out a laugh and carefully leans closer breathing against Jim’s ear; two can play this game. 

“I wouldn’t exactly need an excuse for that though, would I?”

Jim’s breath catches. “No,” he says once he’s gathered himself. His face, Leonard notices with satisfaction, is pleasantly flushed. “I suppose you wouldn’t, especially now. Looks like you’ve got the hang of it.”

Leonard looks down and sees that his grip on Jim is now minimal at best and Jim has let go of him entirely. He nearly stumbles when he realizes it, but Jim catches him and winks. “Don’t think too much, just keep doing what you’re doing.”

He skates a bit to the side and let’s Leonard find his footing; once he does, Jim takes his hand and doesn’t let go for the rest of the time they’re on the ice.  
When they’re done and unlacing their skates, Jim turns to him with a smile. “So? What’d you think? Was this a good Christmas surprise?”

Leonard quirks an eyebrow. “Is that what this was?”

Jim nods, “Yep; although, this is just the first stop on my _Give Bones the Best Christmas Ever!_ Tour. I’ve got plenty of more where this came from, handsome. I’ll be right back,” he gives Leonard a wink and goes to return their skates.

 

-oOo-

 

The next stop turns out to be an immense light display in a nearby park. There seems to be lights on every surface available, and it’s dazzling. Archways and trees are all sparkling and bright, and there are displays depicting Winter traditions from all around the world, as well as some from off world.

“It’s beautiful,” Leonard says, voice distant as he tries to take it all in.

“Gaila told me about this,” Jim says with a grin. He’s insinuated himself against Leonard’s side, and Leonard has his arm wrapped about his waist.

They’ve yet to talk about it, but it feels like the most natural thing in the world.

“As always, she has good taste,” Leonard replies, taken aback when he notices how the lights reflect in Jim’s eyes like stars. A weighted look develops between them.

For a moment, it feels very much like they’re about to kiss, but if everything goes according to Leonard’s plans, that’s going to be later. He opts for pulling Jim’s head against his shoulder, walking further along the lighted path. Jim hums pleasantly and walks closer, all too happy to agree when they reach the end and Leonard asks him if he’s ready to head back to the dorm.

 

-oOo-

 

When they reach their door, Leonard steps ahead of Jim and holds up a finger to have him wait. “Close your eyes for a minute; it’s about time you get your surprise.”  
Jim’s eyebrows jump. “Oh! Why, Bones, I didn’t think you had it in you,” he says around a coy smile.

“I’m full of surprises kid; now close your eyes.” He waits until Jim does and then opens the door. Jim follows slowly as Leonard guides him by the elbow into their room and stops him just inside the door.

“Okay, open them.”

Leonard watches as Jim takes in their room. There’s a Christmas tree in the corner, cookies on the table, and garland and tinsel strung everywhere. Jim’s smile is more blinding than all of it.

“Bones, how on earth?”

Leonard shrugs humbly. “You weren’t Gaila’s only connection. She came over to help this morning while you were out getting your plans settled.”

Jim laughs. “A secret romantic all along; how didn’t I know?”

“Oh you don’t know the half of it,” Leonard says, pointedly motioning his head upwards.

Jim tilts his gaze upwards and huffs a disbelieving laugh when he sees the mistletoe hanging from the door frame.

“Merry Christmas, Jim,” Leonard says against Jim’s lips.

The kissing leaves Jim unable to respond with words, but he makes up for it by kissing Leonard absolutely breathless.

It’s not until Jim’s mouth starts moving across the line of Leonard’s jaw and down his neck with a promise of so much more, that Leonard officially counts his last foreseeable Christmas on Earth a resounding success.

**Author's Note:**

> And, of course a MAJOR thank you to [Heather](http://docoflaherty.tumblr.com) for the last minute beta. <3


End file.
